Page 48 of Ambition

Ambition.She is, and has always been, mine.

He was watchingmy tits bounce as I fucked Von.

It made me wetter, impossibly hot, to see a man like Cain Bonavich so intently focused onme.He didn’t touch himself, he didn’t smile, he did nothing but watch, and he never looked away.

That alone gave me a sick sense of satisfaction. I wanted to please Von after he made me come so hard I saw fucking stars, after he got himself fucked up for me, and I don’t want to fuck Cain—it seems kind of too dangerous, even for me—but having his eyes on me was heady.

Now, he smiles as he catches my gaze. He’s still standing by the boxing ring. Von is dressed, his bruises covered, and I try not to think of them. Not right now. Not yet. My pants and socks are on, but I snatch up my shirt as Cain stares at me.

“I see why he’s like that. So obsessive.” His gaze drops to my bare chest, and I can see how hard he is through his pants, even with so much space between us.

Von hooks his arm over my body, pressing his forearm to my tight nipples and shielding me as much as possible. His touch is familiar, and I’m not even annoyed by it right now. Even as he jerks me back into him, my spine to his chest. “Give her some fucking space to get dressed.”

Cain cocks his head as he folds his arms over his chest. “Sure,” he says. “But only because you fucked up your whole face to protect her.” He winks at me, and I know it’s solely to piss Von off. But he walks out all the same, the door falling closed behind him.

Von leans in close to me. “If he ever touches you, I’ll snap his fucking spine.”

I turn my head, our lips brushing as I look up into his eyes. I don’t want to say it, but some part of me likes this version of him. I want both; the Von who supports my career, and the Von who becomes feral thinking of another man fucking me. I think this feeling will wear off though when the endorphins and oxytocin aren’t bubbling so brightly inside my brain. Then what?

I don’t know.

I don’t want to think about it.

If I could work on jobs like he does, ones they’re so worried about putting me on because of how I murdered that fucking guard, maybe I would be satisfied. But my edge is my sexuality, and I don’t want to be equal to Von. I want to be…betterthan everyone else, for Writhe.

“What?” he asks, voice low as his gray eyes search mine. “Tell me what it is you’re thinking.”

Despite the confusion, the way I’ll need to analyze this later, I can’t help the thoughts in my head at his question.My heart is melting,I think but don’t say.My heart is melting, and I don’t like it.

“I think you might be in over your head with fighting Cain,” I say instead of that, smiling.

“I would fuck up anyone for you.” Von’s jaw flexes, and I know he means it.

My mind goes back to the hotel party, staring up at the chandelier together. Younger versions of us. More innocent. Less scarred. I glance at the wound on his face, the flesh between the stitching. Slowly, I turn fully and rise to my knees, my breasts grazing his hoodie. I ghost my lips over the injury on his cheek.

I already know I’ll pay Vipera back for that. I’ll prove myself that way, before I speak to Mads and my parents. “Yes,” I say softly against his skin. “I know, Von.”

In the hallway,after I’m completely dressed and Von’s arm is around my shoulder, possessive, Cain assures me I will be compensated for the intel, despite the fact Von got it, and I don’t know how I feel about that. It’s cheap, and I need to do something worse to show my strength. But for now, I need a shower, and a bed, and a strategy. I’ll go home, pull out a legal pad, and I’ll get a plan together, in code and short hand, or I’ll shred the pieces, after I plot out my rise.

“We’ll be in touch,” Cain says, eyeing both me and Von.

But his dark eyes linger on my best friend, and in the corridor outside of the boxing ring, the two men stare at one another.

Von doesn’t even blink. His jaw flexes, and he doesn’t look away.

I feel like they’re about to whip out their dicks and a measuring tape.

Cain says, very quietly, his hands in his pockets, “Congratulations.”

That sticky jealousy rises inside of me again, but I grip my duffle bag tightly in both hands, focusing on the way it sways against my shins.

And the bitterness turns to confusion when Cain continues speaking. “Now we know your greatest weakness.”

Without another word, he turns from us both and saunters down the hallway, deeper into Nox.

ISADORA

His head is in my lap.

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